Spinning Tales - Weaving a Novel

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Watching an expert spinster on a spinning wheel reminds me of how writers weave a story. Instead of using flax or wool to create yarn however, a writer uses words to form the sentences and chapters that, hopefully, will form a tale that draws readers to peruse the pages through the end.

A good writing desk is essential.

Proper illumination a must...

Toasty toes definitely makes the creative process a warmer experience.

And caffeine is a critical necessity.

Housework MUST be temporarily ignored ("What dust bunnies?")...

Colonial American music can be inspiring when writing about Colonial America...

...but not too loud.

Photos of  battlefields inspire visions of long again in autumn, when the forests were red and amber, and the scene not so peaceful.

Back then, the sounds of fife and drum were nearly drowned out by the blasts of cannon.

Yet in the midst of describing the horrors of war, love wove its way into the words and what seemed to be a story of death, was instead, birthed into a romance.

And thousands of words later, a tale of war is spun into a drama of affection, where love triumphs over hate. And a novel is born.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of Bethany's Calendar and Fields of the Fatherless. Please visit her website here